The phenomenon of disappearances in the province of Malaga shows a concerning trend, particularly among young people. During 2025, security forces conducted searches for approximately 800 individuals. Of this total, nearly 100 reports remained active by the end of December, highlighting the persistence of these cases.
A revealing statistic is that almost 40% of disappearances, or 290 cases, involved minors under 18 years of age. This figure, from the latest report by the Ministry of the Interior, indicates that nearly 4 out of every 10 people sought were adolescents. Compared to 2024, when 277 minors were reported missing, the following year saw a moderate increase of 4.7%, adding 13 more cases.
The profile of missing persons is evolving, and Malaga reflects a national trend where minors represent a significant portion of cases. The government report emphasizes that the 13 to 17 age group accounts for 59.1% of all reports in Spain, showing that voluntary runaways from protection centers, family conflicts, and vulnerable social environments are key factors. The province of Malaga is among those with a higher number of repeated cases.
The first hours after a person disappears are crucial and may be the only ones available.
Although Malaga does not lead the national ranking for disappearances, it is at a medium-high level of incidence. The positive news is that most missing persons are eventually located. However, as of December 31, 2025, 92 cases remained unresolved, of which 19 were minors (14 males and 5 females) and 73 were adults.
A recent example is the search for Marc Ian, a 14-year-old teenager, who was located in the Playa Virginia area thanks to citizen collaboration. After his discovery, accompanied by an adult who was arrested, authorities investigated whether the latter had committed a crime of inducing abandonment of the home. The sub-delegate of the Government in Malaga, Javier Salas, had previously indicated that everything pointed to a voluntary runaway.
